kathyb Posted December 3, 2013 Report Share Posted December 3, 2013 I have a new Millie (my 2nd one in 10 years!) and have quilted several quilts on it very successfully. Today I loaded a T-shirt quilt and have found that the tension is acting up. It looks very tight on the top so I have tightened the bobbin and loosened the top. Still looks the same. So I loosened the top so much that the tension discs are practically dangling and it is still looking too tight on the top! I noticed that it is occasionally skipping stitches too. I have looked at the hook assembly and the needle seems to be in the right place. I'm not afraid to time it as I have timed my previous machine many times. I have cleaned everything very carefully. I have used WD40 and oiled the hook assembly. I have changed the needle and turned it slightly. I checked the tension spring. Tried different thread and turned the cone upside down. Changed the thread path several times. Loosened the roller. Adjusted the hopping foot. I'm at a loss. Please help! Thanks in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RunningThreads Posted December 3, 2013 Report Share Posted December 3, 2013 Kathy If the t-shirts are stretchy material you might try more of a ball point needle if you have one. Nigel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micajah Posted December 4, 2013 Report Share Posted December 4, 2013 If you pull both top and bottom threads, are you seeing a big difference in either one? I try to keep mine balanced or maybe the top slightly tighter so the bottom thread is inside my sandwich. After adjusting this way for some time now, I have developed a "feel" for good thread tension. Also, Rita gave a great hint on using the teflon disks instead of the spring in the bobbin case. I haven't had any tension issues using her method. I use omni and bottom line almost exclusively, except when someone wants a metallic or signature thread and I will still use bottom line in the bobbin. I have not found it necessary to adjust tension for any top thread since learning to adjust/balance tension this way. I use titanium needles and I think they have a slightly rounded tip to them too. You could always try one if you have it. Nigel gave good advice on using a ballpoint for t shirts. It will separate the fibers instead of cutting thru them as a sharp needle would, so the thread should bury/sink into the fabric. Debbie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaR Posted December 4, 2013 Report Share Posted December 4, 2013 If the designs on the T-shirts are of the rubbery junk, I'd use spray Silicone on the quilt top and some sort of lube on the threads. I've not seen any damage from it, and I also use Static Guard for flying thread ends, and also dunk my cones of thread into mineral oil, blott well and continue as usual. Check under the little finger on the side of the bobbin case, and clean any lint/dust out, that might be there. Good luck and enjoy, Rita Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kathyb Posted December 4, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2013 Hi All, I changed the check spring, just in case... It solved most of the issues, but I don't really see anything wrong with the spring! Maybe the end of it had come out of the slot that it must go in. I also changed to a ball point needle (thank you Nigel!) and I should now be able to finish this quilt with no problems. I'm simply meandering around the 'rubbery junk', so I don't foresee any more issues. I hope! Rita, I do check under the little finger on the bobbin side at every bobbin change, but I'm not sure about the tension disks alone as Debbie mentioned. Where would I find that information? I'm very curious! Thank you all!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaR Posted December 5, 2013 Report Share Posted December 5, 2013 Kathy, I'm really not fully awake now, the little disks are called "Bobbin Genie's" I think.. lol.. Anyway they are tiny thin slices of a Teflon product, white and put dull side up in the bobbin case. Really makes a diff. And they love to sllp out of the bobbin case without it being known. to me it is really worth the difference. MRM on this forum sent me some. Here is a You Tube video addy where Sharon Schaumber shows and explains about the Genies. She and her daughter both sell them on their websites, and here is one where they are quite a bit less costly. http://www.amazon.com/Little-Washers-Schamber-LaPierre-Studios/dp/B007VI69S6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1386242366&sr=8-2&keywords=bobbin+genie Good luck, Rita Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kathyb Posted December 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2013 Rita, yes! Bobbin Genies! I have been using them for about 5 years now. I thought Debbie was talking about the actual discs on the tension assembly. LOL. Thanks!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaR Posted December 5, 2013 Report Share Posted December 5, 2013 NP, lol, I can certainly read things differently than intended. ROFL, do a good job of saying them differently! Rita Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimerickson Posted December 7, 2013 Report Share Posted December 7, 2013 Kathy: What size needle are you using? If you were using a thin one, maybe that was part of your problem. I would also check the tension assembly. Mine sometimes seems to loosen in the mount, and when it does, the alignment is changed. If you have a TOWA bobbin guage, check to make sure that the bobbin tension is uniform (the gauge shows a steady tension when you pull the thread). You might have a bad bobbin, or the case may be distorted some. Good luck. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaR Posted December 8, 2013 Report Share Posted December 8, 2013 One last thought on this, hit me in the middle of the night.. Are you using prewound bobbins, magna glide, home wound? If you wind them, they really need to be tight. Barely able to dent the thread when pushed on with a finger nail.. I wouldn't be too happy with the Little plastic bobbin winder anyone can get. For me they didn't wind evenly, nor near tight enough.. I wouldn't own one, unless they have made drastic improvements over the last few years. I currently use all 3.. prefer the magna glide, and have too many prewounds to not use them up. Have you solved the problem? Talked with Amy or someone else at APQS? Curious minds.. lol, Rita Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kathyb Posted December 8, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2013 Jim and Rita, I also use all 3 bobbins. That quilt I happened to be using pre-wounds. It helped immensely changing my needle to a ball point. I had also changed the spring in the tension assembly even tho the original didn't seem to broken or anything. That worked! I've done 2 quilts since then and have only had very few skipped stitches. I do use a TOWA gage (life changing for me!) and I don't use the bobbins that are not running smoothly off the gage, whether they are wound on my turbo winder, or prewound. I have never had a problem with magna glides. With my pre-wounds, I take the cardboard paper off of the side that goes into the bobbin case and I have a Magic Genie washer in the bobbin case. I don't remember where I learned to tear the paper off the one side, but it works. It might have been Sharon Schamber. I really suspect the spring was not in the groove and changing it was what helped. Thanks so much! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbnt9999 Posted December 9, 2013 Report Share Posted December 9, 2013 I had a quilt that the top tension was to tight no matter how much i loosened . I remember reading somewhere on the forum about only going through two of the holes on the arm above the tension disk. I worked great! next time might be worth a try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaR Posted December 9, 2013 Report Share Posted December 9, 2013 So Glad everything is working out for the good. Problems are, as if I need to say it a real Pain! and what frustrates me with anything that isn't working quite right, is the time I waste fixing or trying to fix things and get them back to working. LOL, nope, I do and don't have patience, it depends on what I'm doing and working with that day. Rita Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimerickson Posted December 9, 2013 Report Share Posted December 9, 2013 I thought all the MR needles were a modified ball point. A bit more pointed than a normal ball point, but certainly not a sharp. Am I miss informed? Kathy: I'm glad you solved your problem. All of this stuff is part of mastering your machine, I've quilted nearly 500 quilts now, and I still learn things about my machine from time to time. This forum is a really great resorce. Everyone, please share the solutions to your problems so we all can continue to learn. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kathyb Posted December 10, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2013 Jim, I am on quilt #487 and my 2nd Millie. I am still learning things!! And still loving my job and this forum!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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